Ouaddou insists that Mbokazi remains a key member of his squad.
Orlando Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has broken his silence regarding growing speculation around the possible departure of star defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
The 20-year-old, who has quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in South Africa, is reportedly on the verge of completing a multi-million-rand deal to join Major League Soccer (MLS) side, Chicago Fire.
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Ouaddou added fuel to the fire by omitting Mbokazi from the matchday squad that played Chippa United in a Betway Premiership clash at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday. And after their 2-0 victory over the Chilli Boys, the media quizzed Ouaddou about Mbokazi’s potential move to the US.
Ouaddou claimed that he was not aware of it, insisting that the young Bafana Bafana defender remains a key member of his squad.
“What I can tell you is that I’m not aware of this news; for me, Mbokazi is still in my group,” said Ouaddou.
“Today [Tuesday], like I just said, I rotated the players, and he is one of the most important players in my group. So, for me, he is still with us, and that’s it. He is still my player.”
Mbokazi has been a consistent performer for the Buccaneers this season, featuring in 18 matches across all competitions for the club and scoring one goal.
Ouaddou on facing selection headache
Meanwhile, Ouaddou has admitted that the return of big-name players like Olisa Ndah and Makhehlene Makhaula from injury has made it difficult to select his starting line-ups.
While Ndah was an unused substitute during the game against Chippa, Makhaula replaced Thalente Mbatha after the hour mark and Pirates fans greeted him with cheers when he came on.
“When you have all these big names coming back to increase depth in the team, it makes it difficult for me to make choices. But I prefer it that way rather than not having enough players to choose from,” said Ouaddou.
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“It’s important to have Ndah and Makhaula back. I want to thank the medical department for that. When somebody is injured for a long time, you must work with them physically and mentally, and the medical team did a fantastic job for us to be able to use him [Makhaula] in the match.
“I am happy for him to be back on the pitch, and you can feel the love he got from the fans when he came on.”